Tax facelifts — and strike a blow against ageism
Image by AFP/Getty Images via Daylife
The Senate is proposing a tax on elective cosmetic surgery. And — what a shock — plastic surgeons are outraged.
The proposal — called the Bo-Tax, in a play on the name of Botox, the popular wrinkle-eliminating treatment — has outraged plastic surgeons, who say they are being singled out because of an outdated perception that people who have cosmetic procedures are well-to-do….
The 7,000-member American Society of Plastic Surgeons said its internal surveys showed that 60 percent of members’ patients earn less than $90,000 a year.
via In Senate Health Bill, a Tax on Cosmetic Surgery – NYTimes.com.
Okay, let’s not even touch how ludicrous it is to use $90,000 as the level below which poverty kicks in. I simply don’t get the objections to the tax at all. Appendectomies are medically necessary; facelifts are not. You don’t pay tax on aspirin, you do on rouge. So what? This is a vanity tax, pure and simple, and thus falls into the same category as sin taxes — if you want to indulge in risky or silly behavior, fine, but it’ll cost you.
But I am particularly outraged by another argument being made against this tax: That it discriminates against women, who certainly get nipped and tucked and injected more than men. The question, of course, is why do they? And we all know the answer.
Society has persuaded us that aging men look distinguished, aging women look decrepit, that lined male faces are craggy, lined female faces are wrinkled, that men gain more authority as they age, while women are taken ever less seriously. And by getting the injections, the operations, all those things, we let them perpetuate the tyranny.
I was at a close friend’s home for dinner Friday night. At one point her young son asked how old I was. Before I could answer, she hushed him up — “That’s an impolite question, we don’t ask it” Why not? I asked. It’s none of his business, she said. If he asked me how tall I am, or where I live, would that be none of his business also? I asked. No, she said, but it’s just that he’s so much younger than you. Yes he is, said I — but why should this somehow make me embarrassed about my age? He’s also shorter than me. I turned to the young man and very loudly announced my age. Simultaneously one of his teenaged sisters said “Good for you!” while another one said “Oh, great, you’ve now made it harder for other women.” (for the record, June 11, 1947, do the math — but now you have to send me a birthday present)
I don’t get it. Do I wish I were younger? You betcha. I also wish I were taller. And richer. And I wish I had much thicker hair. Doesn’t mean I’m gonna lie about my height, or live beyond my means, or invest in hair extensions. Why in tarnation should I lie about my age, or take drastic measures to hide it?
Sure, I want to look good. And when someone tells me I look younger, I get the sense they are telling me I look healthy, maybe even pretty. And sure, I use makeup. And I won’t swear that I won’t get botoxed or juvidermed or even lifted.
But right now, I’m too darned angry at a society that thinks I’m silly NOT to do those things. So, coming full circle on this argument, I would love to see a tax that would (1) raise needed money to insure poor people, and (2) maybe, just maybe, restore some dignity to healthy aging.
Post Your Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment
T/S Members
Log in with your True/Slant account.
Claudia,
I’m all for a tax on boob jobs and facelifts (butt jobs for men, too) but I would hate to see cleft palate surgery or mastectomy repair taxed. Plastic surgeons do plenty of good work along with the vanity jobs. It’s really hard to write a good law that deftly separates the deserving and the undeserving; I think the best way to deal with the deficit is to return to the Reagan tax structure, ie increase taxes on the wealthy.
On your main point about ageism, I’m with you all the way.
The bill is explicit — surgery to fix congenital disfigurements, repair problems caused by surgeries or accidents,etc, are all exempt from the tax. Only the vanity operations apply. So it is, in face, a tax on the wealthy — i don’t think many poor people can afford it, tax or no tax
In response to another comment. See in context »Well, you’ve answered my objections. But I think you would be surprised at how many people who can’t afford it get plastic surgery. Vanity is not a class-based characteristic. I’m still all for the bill as described. After all, lotteries, cigarette taxes, liquor taxes fall disportionately on the poor, why not vanity taxes?
In response to another comment. See in context »well, we agree on everything, it seems
In response to another comment. See in context »[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Bethany Worliting, :: AGING WATCH ::. :: AGING WATCH :: said: A fun little read by Claudia Deutsch: "Tax facelifts — and strike a blow against ageism." http://bit.ly/75nNxZ [...]
Oh great…this overly distinguished craggy faced authoritarian is now going to have to pay more to get those cougars to give me a second look.
You are describing my perfect world — one where aging guys despair because the aging women are all dating younger men. Then, when someone like me says to a guy of a certain age, eschew the knife and shots, I love your character lines, he’s magnificently grateful. Ain’t fantasy grand?
In response to another comment. See in context »Well in LA your fantasy is coming closer to reality.
let me know when it’s definitely reached that point — I’ll cash in my frequent flyer miles for a one-way ticket
In response to another comment. See in context »